Everything We Know About The Love Actually Sequel So Far…

Love Actually fans rejoice – the cast of everyone’s favourite romantic Christmas film are set to reunite for a special Red Nose Day short film, and we can’t wait.

In the week the 10-minute sequel is set to air a trailer has been released with the star-studded cast showing us exactly what and who we can expect. Taking inspiration from Andrw Lincoln’s character, who famously declared his love for his best-friends new wife using written on cards, the cast hold up their own explaining what it is going to be about. Watch the trailer here…

The follow-up to the original 2003 film, aptly named ‘Red Nose Day Actually’, will air on BBC One on Friday, and will be a 10-minute sequel following up on the lives of some of our favourite characters from the movie.

It’s the news we’ve all been waiting for since the curtains went up on Hugh Grant and Martine McCutcheon’s fateful kiss on the school stage all those years ago. But what is the sequel actually shaping up to look like? What is it actually going to be about – and more importantly, who is going to be in it? Here’s everything we know about the new short film so far…

1. Almost all of the original cast members will be reprising
their roles in the short film – including Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin
Firth, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy, Andrew Lincoln, Martine McCutcheon, and Rowan Atkinson.

2. Martine McCutcheon, who played a member of the Prime Minister’s
household staff in the film, has said that she probably wouldn’t have
done the sequel had Hugh Grant not signed up too. “I wouldn’t feel right
doing it without Hugh.” she remarked on Loose Women. And, it would seem
the feeling is mutual, on learning there was to be a sequel, Hugh’s
first reaction was to ask whether Martine was doing it.

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The former Eastenders star revealed that since filming together in 2003, the pair have kept in touch, saying, “He’s lovely, we still DM and text. We have this banter, we’re so different, from such different backgrounds, but it’s why we work.” The actress also admitted that she enjoys poking fun at Grant for being ‘grumpy’ (a label he was also given by former girlfriend, Elizabeth Hurley) and that he often calls her ‘teeny’ as an affection form of Martine.

Since news broke of the sequel, speculation has been rife as to whether this much loved fictional couple will have stayed together all these years since 2003. Martine gave her thoughts on the subject explaining, “I really hope they’ve had a couple of kids, and he’s still doing his silly dancing, and for him still to be in Downing Street”. We guess we’ll have to wait and see if her wishes have come true!

3. We finally know the fate of the
adorable couple – and it seems like Martine’s wishes might have come
true. Emma Freud, Richard Curtis’ partner and co-writer of the script for ‘Red Nose Day Actually’, has announced that Natalie (Martine McCutcheon) and
David (Hugh Grant) are not only still together, but may now actually be
married!

The co-writer has unveiled the first pictures of the couple whilst filming on set, still in love after all these years…

And it looks like David might still
be in charge at 10 Downing Street. In a scene reminiscent of the
original film, where Hugh Grant’s character spoke out against the
President to the press, Emma has also released pictures of Hugh stood
behind a government podium to address a crowd of awaiting reporters at a
press conference. So is he still Prime Minister? Has he been for all
these years? Are Natalie and David really married? Watch this space until we find out…

4. Olivia
Olson has been spotted on set filming the scenes for her character. See
if you can figure out which talented youngster she played in the 2003
film. Hint – she sang Mariah Carey’s classic Christmas tune and got
chased through the airport at the end of the film…

And
Olivia Olson joined up with the duo – could Sam and Joanna really have
made it work all these years later? We certainly hope so…!

6. But, Emma Thompson is not listed to return to the film. Emma played Karen, who was married to unfaithful husband Harry, played by the late Alan Rickman. Richard Curtis, the director, has further confirmed Emma won’t be joining the cast, saying “Ems isn’t in it. She just can’t do it.” Emma later admitted that it would be “too sad” and “too soon”, to take part in the sequel, following Alan’s death.

7. And sadly, there won’t be an Alan Rickman tribute in the 10-minute
special. The actor died in January 2016, and was one of the main
characters in the original Love Actually film. Director Richard
Curtis admitted that it was a difficult subject to broach in just ten
short minutes, saying “You know, dealing with Alan is very complicated,
so not really.”, when asked if a tribute was on the cards.

8. The king of romantic comedies, writer and producer Richard Curtis (Notting Hill, Four Weddings and A Funeral) is spearheading the sequel, and will write the script, as he did for the original film.

9. The film will re-visit what all of the old gang have been up to since the last film ended. Curtis confirmed, “I would never have dreamt of writing a sequel to Love Actually, but I thought it might be fun to do 10 minutes to see what everyone is now up to. Who has aged best? I guess that’s the big question … or is it so obviously Liam? It’ll certainly be a nostalgic moment getting back together and recreating their characters 14 years later.”

10. Unfortunately, Rowan Atkinson’s shop assistant character won’t get his own shot at love this time around, as most of the other characters in the 2003 film did. Emma Freud confirmed that a romantic ending for the hilarious character was “not gonna happen…”

11. The sequel won’t focus on all of the characters we know and love. Curtis admitted that “We’re not doing everyone. We’re doing about two thirds of people.” Heartbreaking, but a revelation that makes sense, with the producers having just ten minutes of airtime to play with.

Don’t mind us – we’ll just be humming the lyrics to ‘Love (Christmas) Is All Around’ until the 24th March finally comes around…